


Just Best Mate Things

by ShittyDinner



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: "friends", Characters Are Adults, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Multi, Romantic Comedy, a bit of a sitcom in later chapters, definitely just friends here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:29:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28119945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShittyDinner/pseuds/ShittyDinner
Summary: We don't talk about best mate things.
Relationships: Hop/Masaru | Victor, Hop/Masaru | Victor/Yuuri | Gloria, Hop/Yuuri | Gloria, Masaru | Victor/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	1. Starters

**Author's Note:**

> Please do not let this shitpost of a fic be your first impression of the ShittyDinner writers omg.
> 
> We promise our [other stuff's](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21750505/chapters/51892081) higher quality. 
> 
> This is an ongoing collection of sidefic-shitposts-turned-actual-fic chapters with some element of continuity, probably. It won't update as regularly as our main project but we thought we'd put it out there for fun.

  
  


The cool thing about pulled away from her phone and dragged off at the start of the match she was about to watch is actually getting to meet the person fighting in said match. The Champion of Galar just so happens to be the older brother of one of her two best mates. Apparently. They’ve never met despite having here having been friends with Hop for years. The champion’s just never around. Photos just keep popping up in Hop’s house. Busy, champions.

The three are about to set off when Hop gets distracted by a stubborn Wooloo tackling the fencing by Gloria’s. 

“There’s a Wooloo… What’s it doing there?” says Hop, coming to such a sudden halt that Victor collides with him. 

“No, Wooloo,” Gloria laughs, approaching it. “That gate’s blocking off the Slumbering Weald.” 

Victor’s craning his neck to watch the Wooloo.

“Hey!” Hop half-laughs with his hands behind his head. “You silly Wooloo! I see what you’re up to! Don’t go using Tackle on the fencing!” 

He’s met with a defiant bleat and promptly ignored. 

“Don’t think it belongs to anyone—it’s wool’s all matted,” Gloria says. 

Victor turns to Hop. “Maybe I should catch it since you’ve already got one.”

“That thing couldn’t keep up with my Wooloo anyway,” Hop dismisses with a pout.

“Not so sure about that,” says Gloria. “Look at those legs—it’s got quite a bit of muscle. That’s quite some potential.”

“Want me to catch it for you, Gloria?” Victor quietly asks. His smirk does not amuse her. 

Gloria shrugs. “You’ve been offering to catch me a Pokémon for years, Vic. You know my answer.” She approaches the Wooloo and pats its cheek after a particularly hard Tackle that seems to have put it in a daze. 

It staggers off in resignation just as Hop commands a very firm, “No!”

It looks back at him. “Meeeh?” 

“Now that that’s taken care of…” Hop announces as though it’s completely to his credit, How about it, lads? Let’s race!”

The glint in Victor’s eye tells Gloria she’s doomed. She falls behind within minutes as Hop and Victor gain distance. There’s no point; Hop always wins races. 

A quick stop and a chat with Hop’s mum later—Gloria won’t admit it to the men but she’s rather pleased that Hop’s mum seems to dote on her so much—and the three are on their way to pick up Leon at the train station.

The Champion’s eluded her despite her having been friends with Hop for ages. She’s watched him on the telly for years with her best mates but, seeing as even his younger brother doesn’t even spend much time with him, meeting Leon has not yet happened. Still, a decade of being a dedicated fan does build a certain giddy hype.

“Marry him, why don’t you,” teases Victor as she bubbles excitedly.

Hop clicks his tongue. “Not funny, Vic.” He puts his hands on Gloria’s shoulders. You’re just excited because you know he’s bringing presents, right, Gloria?”

“Right,” she says evasively. 

“Is it ‘cause he’s so fit,” Victor teases, “or because he’s the strong, flashy type?”

“Now you’re just describing me.” Hop flexes jokingly.

Gloria chortles. “Right. You’d need to hit the gym for at least a year before you’re that massive—Vic, would you stop making that face?”

Hop pouts and mutters something Gloria doesn’t catch.

They spot Leon posing and engaging an excited crowd at the station.

“Blimey…” Victor breathes. “Just about the whole town’s showed up.” 

Admittedly, the entire population of Wedgehurst isn’t much. He’s not wrong though. It’s not too often that the real Champion Leon shows up, after all.

Leon’s showboating for the crowd, engaging and entertaining them before asking them to do their best and become the strongest trainers they can be. He stops the second he spots Hop in the crowd though, excusing himself for the person he calls his biggest fan. 

Some playful banter between the bothers and Leon turns to Victor. “Let me guess, one of your best mates, Victor—am I right?”

“On the nose.” Victor says with a nod. The volume takes Gloria by surprise—Victor’s normally so quiet that she has to strain to catch everything. 

Leon then turns to Gloria. “And these bright eyes over here… I’ve got it! You must be Gloria—am I right?”

Bright eyes? 

What?

“That’s me,” she says nervously. 

Leon beams. “I’ve heard loads about you two from my little brother.”

Loads?

Although initially star-struck, it takes about five minutes for Gloria to adjust to speaking with Leon since the brothers are so similar. He’s actually…just a flashier and more air-headed Hop—if one could imagine a flashier Hop. Talking to him’s surprisingly easier than anticipated.

The walk home turns into a race home (because of course it would with Hop and Victor constantly competing over everything). In a surprising turn of events, only Hop and Gloria end up being the ones taking it seriously. Victor and Leon end up at barely a jog after a while and seem to care more about their in-depth discussion about technical records by the time they make it back to their family’s farm. Where they find Gloria dead. Hop always wins races.

“Come on, Lee! You promised us a present! So out with it!” Hop insists. “You brought us Pokémon, didn’t you? I know you must have!”

Gloria swallows. 

No, that’s not fair. 

“Right then! The greatest gift from the greatest champion…” 

Victor leans forward, eyes alight. Hop beams.

Leon winds up and pitches three Pokéballs. “It’s show time, everyone!”

Three Pokémon emerge and immediately begin playing around. 

Gloria swallows as Victor inches toward her and whispers, “You don’t have to.” 

“All right! Line up, everyone!” Leon calls to the Pokémon. He turns to Hop. “Which will you choose?”

Hop grabs Gloria by the elbow and ushers her forward. “Go on—you pick first. I’ve already got my Wooloo, after all.”

“And I’ve got a full party,” Victor adds quietly.

“Victor shouldn’t get anything from Lee,” Hop quips. “He’s been training Pokémon since we were kids.” In a rare whisper he says, “Look, Gloria, you don’t have to train it. Smile and nod and we’ll sort things out later.”

Gloria smiles and squats, eyeing the Pokémon in a row. She’s definitely not taking the water-type. Sobble tears are like a thousand-onion punch to the face. No thanks. 

The Grookey or the Scorbunny? 

They eye her expectantly.

How is she supposed to choose? 

“Faaa!”

Gloria’s anxious smile turns into a more sincere one when the Scorbunny calls out to her, excitedly bouncing on the balls of its feet. She reaches out tentatively and strokes its long ears. She wouldn’t have to battle with it. It could keep her company like her family’s Munchlax. Would Scorbunny enjoy helping out on her family’s farm? 

It chirps at her as she gently pets the fur on its cheek. 

“I like this one…” she breathes, looking intently at Scorbunny. Her heart’s never bubbled like this looking at a Pokémon before. “What say you, mate?” 

A hearty fist bump and…Gloria’s got herself a Pokémon. 

“Victor?” Hop asks.

“Inteleon,” Victor says immediately. “I want the Sobble.” He holds his arm out and Sobble…reaches out tentatively before gently taking his hand. Victor smiles lovingly, stroking its head, and whispers, “You’ll be really strong, lad. I know it.”

Hop nods decisively and approaches the silly Grookey. “You’re mine! I’m aiming to be the next champion, so be ready!” he warns. “You and I’ll be doing some serious training!”

“He’s got nothing on you, mate. Don’t worry,” Victor whispers to his Sobble.

“Actually, the Scorbunny’s got the most potential,” Gloria says offhand. “You can tell because of the hip structure. High speed. Low special attack. 

“What? My Grookey’s the greatest!” Hop says indignantly. 

“He’s got too mild a temperament. He’d be best with special attacks, which aren’t the species’ forte.” Gloria says with a shrug. 

“We’ve taught her well,” Victor laughs, and when Gloria turns to look at him, it seems to have been in response to the expression Leon’s got on his face.

“What?” Gloria asks, shrinking. 

“You know your stuff,” Leon commends.

Hop gives Grookey a pat as he perches on his shoulder. “Grookey and I’ll be the greatest, just you wait!” 

Leon beams again. “I bet you will be, Hop. That’s why I brought along these Pokémon for you three. So the three of you can battle and train and grow strong together…to try to reach me!”

Gloria eyes Scorbunny. She’s read many books and seen many matches, having grown up with Hop and Victor, but she’s never had a Pokémon battle. She could have borrowed their family’s Munchlax but her mum would never forgive her if it were to evolve. They’d never be able to feed a Snorlax… 

Her thoughts are interrupted by Hop’s mum’s voice.

“All right, enough of this trainer nonsense for one night. Dinner’s ready.” She’s holding a plate of skewers ready for the barbecue. 

Gloria’s mum’s there too with a second platter in her arms. Ah that’s why she was cleaning so many vegetables this morning.

Gloria gawks. “Mum! You were in on this? You knew?”

“I might have known,” Gloria’s mum says airily. 

“Bring along your Pokémon, and let’s all eat!” Hop’s mum orders as Leon’s Charizard takes a cue from him to light the barbecue. 

Hop immediately chants, “Meat! Meat! Meat!” and runs to their mums, getting about as fired up as the barbecue itself. 

“Sorry your mum couldn’t come Vic,” Gloria says softly. 

“It’s all right,” he mumbles, resting his Sobble on his shoulder and heading over. 

She’ll ignore that middle-distance stare.


	2. Deep End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully nobody heard that whimper. 

Victor’s waiting at her garden entrance the following morning. He gives the Scorbunny in her arms a pat as he greets her, and the two make their way to Hop’s in comfortable silence for a while. 

“What’s that you’ve got, Vic?” Gloria eventually asks, gesturing toward the envelope in his hand.

“I’ve gone and asked Leon for a Gym Challenge endorsement,” Victor says quietly. “Took some convincing but a quick battle was enough to prove myself.”

“What, you fought his Charizard?”

“Oh heavens, no,” he chuckles. “He sicced a fairly fierce Rhydon on me though. Gave my Farfetch’d a run for his money.”

“Oooh, you’d have had a type advantage though. Did you win?”

“Haha, nope. Impressed him enough though.” Victor beams. “Said it took guts to challenge him.” 

“Hop’ll want to do it too if he finds out you’ve been endorsed.”

“Oh, he knows.”

“Yeah, you’ve been on about it for years, haven’t you?”

“Mhm.”

“So…you’re leaving then?”

Victor nods. 

“I suppose it was inevitable,” she murmurs.

Victor goes silent for the rest of the walk. 

  
  
  
  


“You spent the whole night with that new partner of yours, right, Hop?” Leon’s asking as she and Victor join them in their family’s garden. “You two getting on all right? Understanding one another? Maybe even built up a bit of love?”

“Course I have, Lee!” Hop sees them approaching and points. “Gloria’s made fast friends with her Scorbunny, too.”

Scorbunny clicks in agreement from her arms. Admittedly he’s so cuddly and warm that he’s become her favourite thing to carry around in a perpetual hug. They don’t have to battle together to build a strong relationship. 

Leon pumps his fist. “Then listen up, new trainers! Believe in yourself and your Pokémon! If you trust in one another and carry on battling side by side long enough, then someday you might even become worthy rivals for me, the unbeatable champion!” 

“What’re you looking at her for, Lee?!” Hop scoffs. “I’m the one who’ll be coming to challenge you! If you think Gloria might be able to challenge you, then I guess she’s my bigger rival—!”

Victor chortles almost arrogantly and Hop pouts. Hop’s got his Wooloo and Victor’s been training his team since they were kids. Gloria’s technically the only “new trainer” here and she’s not interested in sending her new Scorbunny to get beaten up for money. 

“—I’m not planning to lose to her and miss out on my chance to beat the unbeatable champion!” Hop continues before turning to Gloria with a subtle note of jealousy in his voice. “Just having a Pokémon doesn’t make you a real trainer, you know. Proper trainers raise their Pokémon the be first rate in battle, too!” He must be playing it up for Leon—he and Victor both know that she’s been reluctant to join in on their Pokémon training since childhood. 

“I know!” she says indignantly, and then looks down at Scorbunny in her arms. “I hope I’ll be an okay trainer to you.” She scratches his ear and he chirps happily. 

“Oh and you think you’re worthy of calling yourself such a proper trainer already, Hop?” Leon teases.

Hop gives him a fierce look and nods.

“Guess I’ll be the judge of that. Let’s see how you handle yourself in a battle against your friend, if she’s up for it.”

_ Hopefully nobody heard that whimper.  _

Scorbunny wriggles out of her arms and leaps forward of his own accord, prancing around excitedly. 

Gloria swallows as Victor takes a seat and perches his chin on his fist. Why’s everyone watching her? Even Leon’s eyes are on her. 

Gloria inhales shakily. It’s just one battle and it’s against Hop, who would probably go easy on her. “Let’s go.”

Leon smiles enormously. “Believe in your partner Pokémon! And care for them, too, with all your heart. Do those two things, and I’m certain you’ll learn to choose the moves that suit your Pokémon, and more importantly, to have a champion time battling with them!”

Of course she believes in Scorbunny. 

Battles should be fun. This will be fun.


End file.
